"Everywhere we go, people want to know..." (1967)

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On 12/28/05, Wilson Gray <hwgray at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I'm not familiar with their use of "mighty, mighty" in their battle cry, but
> the Blackstone Rangers themselves were once (in)famous across [black?]
> America, thanks to Ebony and Jet. In their day, they were the Crips and the
> Bloods rolled into one.
>
> Weren't the Rangers named after their neighborhood?

Yep. Founded in the vicinity of S. Blackstone Ave. and E. 63d St. in
Woodlawn, just south of the Midway from Hyde Park (home of Univ. of
Chicago).

More on the gang here, including their "Almighty Black P Stone"
insignia ("P" for "Power"):

http://www.uic.edu/orgs/kbc/ganghistory/UrbanCrisis/Blackstone/BRindex.html


--Ben Zimmer